When I started with my blog "Caribbean2World", my goal was to show that the Caribbean has a lot to offer. Besides sun, sea and sand, we have a rich history, culture and interesting people. The way we approach life in the Caribbean is really something unique in the world and little by little we have remarkable Caribs who every now and again provide us with an opportunity to showcase ourselves to the world. Just take the last Olympics in London 2012, where: Jamaica, Bahamas, Grenada, Trinidad and The Dominican Republic achieved some incredible results and gold medals. I felt proud to be Caribbean.
So, when exploring the web for inspiration, interesting stories and content for my blog I found out that I am not alone in my quest. One of the most exciting Facebook pages I recently became a fan of is:
Only 6 months old, and already has more than 1700 fans. The topics they post are right up my alley and it is therefore that I want to introduce you to them. Like their page and join us in our journey on learning what the Caribbean has to offer 2 the world.
Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Let's start at the beginning. From
which part of the Caribbean are you?
I
am from St. Thomas, U.S Virgin Islands, but I was raised on the
island of St Kitts for the first 8 years of my life. My father is
from St. Kitts and my mother is from the island Nevis, next door.
What inspired
you to start your FB page Caribscope?
I
have since long had a passion for the Caribbean. I just have this
complaint that we are not taken serious and that our story is
understated and overlooked. We are just thought of as a tourist
destination; a place for rum, sun and fun. Images are conjured up of
us lying around in hammocks, drinking rum and smoking weed all day.
I want to change this image. I want the stories of our history to be
told and the stories of our contributions to the world stage. I want
to do and see documentaries about our region. I have always
maintained that we helped to build the world and shaped and
sustained the fortunes of Europe in a myriad of wars.
I have
to also point out that this page was a brainchild collaboration with
a Jamaican friend of mine (Leighton Scarlet). He keeps a very low profile, handling the
administration side of things. I am the one who provides the content
and engage the fans.
Do you have a
special or specific purpose for the page?
Yes,
to, in my own small way, do the above ---promote more than just
pretty beaches and share interesting tidbits about us to the world.
It is certainly a labor of love; a love for my people, a love for my
people and a love in telling about us.
Which Islands
of the Caribbean have you visited?
St.
Croix, St. John, St. Kitts, Nevis, Puerto Rico, Tortola and Jamaica.
I visited Jamaica at least 20 times in the 90s and early 2000s.
The Caribbean
has a tumultuous past. Nowadays we have Spanish, English, French and
Dutch Islands. All of this creates one of the most interesting
melting pots in the world. What do you consider to be the most
important factor binding us together as Caribbeans?
As
crazy as this may sound, it is our common history under colonialism,
coupled with a common dominant culture that originated in Africa,
for the most part. I love the fact that you can go from island to
island and find the same foods with different names, for example.
How important
do you feel is the pre-columbian history of the Caribbean for todays
culture and people? Where according to you can you still find most
of this in the Caribbean?
Sadly,
the story of the pre-Colombian peoples take a backseat to those who
came after and became the dominant culture. This would make sense
because they are a minority today, however, it is no excuse to
overlook them. To find the survivors, you have to go to a place like
Dominica or St. Vincent where pockets of Kalinago people still live.
Apparently it is a dying culture and it would be unimaginable that
in 200 years, they could all be gone.
 |
| English: Scene of the Battle of Vertières during the Haitian Revolution (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Is there anything out
there, of which you think the world should know more about?
(This could be a
piece of history, culture, or anything you find important)
Oh
yes…I believe the Haitian Revolution is very understated in terms
of the world stage and important revolutions. It is because of the
Haitian Revolution, a large portion of the U.S exists today via the
Louisiana Purchase. While the upside of the Revolution was that the
Haitian slaves won their freedom, the downside and lesser known story
is that France, along with other European nations and the U.S, gave
the new nation a cold shoulder and hamstrung their growth by placing
a massive indemnity on it and making sure Haiti was set up to fail
from the start. We see the evidence to this very day.
Can you name
some important and inspiring people from the Caribbean who you
recommend us to get to know more of? And why? (these can be a
historical and current persons)
Tim
Duncan from St. Croix comes to mind. Consummate athlete and person.
I am also fascinated by Toussaint L’Overture, the Haitian leader
who got the Haitian Revolution on the way. There is also Fidel
Castro. I really don’t agree with how he went about suppressing
expression in his country, but I like how he thumbed his nose at the
U.S for all these years and has outlived about 5 presidents. Since I
consider Venezuela, technically, part of the Caribbean, I also had a
great deal of respect for Hugo C. Chavez. I am all about challenging
establishments if they are corrupt and watching the poor/weak rise
up to challenge the elite. Chavez, at least from where I sit, did
this. He may have been in Venezuela, but he was a champion to the
poor and weak everywhere. Oh, and how can I forget the great Eric
Williams of Trinidad. Talk about an intellect and with an impressive
track record.
Any other
bloggers, Facebook pages or websites promoting the Caribbean you
recommend?
I
am not sure of many, but I know they are out there. As a Virgin
Islander, I tend to come across more pages about the Virgin Islands
because most of my FB friends are from my home islands. So far I
love your blog and I really, really, really love the name.
And last but
not least, what is your secret insider’s tip of the Caribbean?
I
can’t say really. I don’t really have any, so to speak. Whatever
secrets we have, I want them revealed to the world because I believe
our ‘secrets’ could be to the world’s enlightenment and
benefit. If anything, for those visiting our islands, I would say
that we are more than rum, sun and fun. I suggest, before visiting,
grab a book that gives a deeper history of our islands other than
some travel magazine blip that talks about Columbus and then races
past slavery to get to beach and rum talk.
